Here Are The High-Profile Men Accused Of Sex Misconduct

NEW YORK, NY — A flood of sexual misconduct allegations has hit the political, entertainment and media industries, with powerful men in each arena being accused of a range of inappropriate behavior — from unwanted touching to pedophilia to rape.

Blockbuster reports by publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Los Angeles Times have exposed the allegations, leading to resignations, public apologies and possible criminal prosecution.

Here is a rundown of the powerful men accused of sexual misconduct in recent weeks:

Harvey Weinstein
More than 75 women have come forward to accuse movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Some of the alleged events took place more than a decade ago, range from unsolicited sexual text messages to unwanted sexual advances to rape. Celebrities like Paz de la Huerta, Asia Argento, Lysette Anthony, Lucia Evans and Rose McGowan have all accused Weinstein of forcing them into unwanted sex. The accusations were first reported in The New York Times and the New Yorker. The NYPD has said they are building a rape case against Weinstein after they interviewed de la Huerta, who has accused Weinstein of raping her on two occasions. Weinstein has repeatedly denied any unwanted sexual behavior.

Louis C.K.
Five women accused comedian Louis C.K. of sexual misconduct in a New York Times report published Thursday, Nov. 9. Two of them were fellow comedians who told the newspaper that C.K. invited them to a hotel room in 2002 and began to masturbate in front of them. Another accuser said she could hear him masturbating while they spoke on the phone a year later. C.K. admitted to the allegations on Friday, Nov. 10 and apologized for his behavior.

Roy Moore
The Alabama Senate candidate has been accused of unwanted sexual contact with four women who were all under the age of 18 at the time. The Washington Post first reported the story, which included Leigh Corfman alleging that Moore had fondled her and kissed her in 1979, when she was 14 and he was 32. Moore’s campaign refuted the accusations, claiming they would have come to light over his 40-year career if they had merit. In a bizarre twist, Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler went as far as justifying Moore’s alleged behavior by referencing the Bible, saying: “Take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus."

Kevin Spacey
A number of young men came forward in late October to accuse actor Kevin Spacey of predatory sexual behavior. The flood of allegations began when BuzzFeed published an interview with actor Anthony Rapp, who claimed Spacey sexually assaulted him after a party at his house when he was 14 years old. Among Spacey’s other accusers were eight people who worked on the set of his high-profile Netflix show “House of Cards,” and the son of actor Richard Dreyfuss, who claimed Spacey groped him in 2008. After the BuzzFeed report, Spacey announced that he was in fact gay, prompting backlash from other celebrities and the gay community who argued he was equating homosexuality with pedophilia.

Bill O’Reilly
Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly was ousted from the network in April, 2017 after The New York Times reported that O’Reilly had settled five sexual harassment cases against him to the tune of $13 million. The paper further reported that O’Reilly settled with longtime Fox analyst Lis Wiehl for $32 in a separate sexual harassment suit. O’Reilly has denied any wrongdoing during his tenure at Fox and called his firing a “political hit job.”

George H.W. Bush
Former President George H.W. Bush was accused by two women of inappropriate touching while they posed for photos. As they posed, Bush allegedly told the women that his nickname was “David cop-a-feel” and grabbed them on the rear end. The accusations were first reported in People magazine and subsequently on Deadspin, a sports news website. Bush’s spokesman responded in a statement, saying the president often tells the same joke "and on occasion he has patted women's rears in what he intended to be a good-natured manner." The statement says he apologizes "to anyone he has offended."

Mark Halperin
Mark Halperin, a premiere political journalist in the United States, was fired by NBC News after numerous women who worked with him during his tenure at ABC News accused him of sexual misconduct. At least 12 women accused Halperin of sexual misconduct, including a desk assistant at ABC who told CNN the “Game Change” author masturbated in front of her when she went to his office for career advice. Halperin denied masturbating in front of anyone, but posted a lengthy apology for the “pain and anguish” his past actions may have caused.

James Toback
Thirty-eight women accused writer and director James Toback of sexual assault in a report published by The Los Angeles Times in late October. In the story, many of the women accuse Toback of coming up to them in New York City or Los Angeles and promising them work in Hollywood. Toback, who won an Oscar for “Bugsy,” would then meet with the women and allegedly turn the conversation to sex and begin masturbating in front of them. Since the Times report, nearly two hundred more women have accused him of assault. Tobak has denied the allegations.

Leon Wieseltier
Prominent magazine editor Leon Wieseltier was fired by The Atlantic and dropped by philanthropist organization The Emerson Fund after several former staffers at The New Republic accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior. Wieseltier allegedly planted unwanted kisses on female staffers and openly discussed his sex life in front them, The New York Times reported in October. Wieseltier apologized for “offenses against some of my colleagues in the past” after the allegations came to light.

Also See: Louis C.K. responds to 'true' sexual misconduct claims

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